This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A year ago, James Harden was a superstar on one end of the floor, and a punchline on the other end. He was one of the best offensive players in the NBA, a 6-foot-5 shooting guard with every tool you could ask for with the ball in his hands. But his defense, a thinly veiled disdain for Dwight Howard and the demise of the Houston Rockets overall did plenty to damage his reputation.
A year ago, Mike D'Antoni was a coaching pariah. He was always known as an offensive genius, an innovator. His seven-seconds-or-less approach to getting off shots helped Steve Nash to multiple MVP awards a decade ago. But his teams never defended. He was a disaster with the New York Knicks and was thought of as nothing more than a retread when the Rockets hired him.
Apart, the two were perceived to be in decline, but together, they have become the ultimate reclamation story. Houston has been one of the top four teams in the Western Conference. And Harden is an early MVP front-runner.
How did this happen? How did a team left for dead, with a coach left for the scrap heap and a player thought to be a massive underachiever come together and become a power duo? The answer is a bit of everything. D'Antoni has gone back to what made him successful in the first place, employing an offense that gets shots up at warp speed.
Harden has become a leader, not so much vocally, but by example. He'll never be a great defender, or even a good one. But he's at least trying on the defensive end. And offensively, he's one of the best three players in basketball.
The biggest factor has been D'Antoni's move to turn Harden into a point guard. And the results have been better than anyone hoped for. Harden is averaging 27.6 points per game. His average of 11.7 assists leads the NBA, and he's grabbing 7.8 rebounds per game as well.
Beyond Harden, D'Antoni has handled his personnel expertly. He plugged Clint Capela, his young and emerging big man, into the starting lineup. Capela's athleticism, rim-protection and finishing ability have meshed perfectly with Harden.
D'Antoni also made Eric Gordon his sixth man, and he's been one of the most explosive scorers in the NBA off the bench this season. Getting Patrick Beverley back from injury also hasn't hurt, as the Rockets heading into last week were 11-2 with the combination guard in the lineup.
The result has been one of the best offenses in the league. The Rockets are one of two teams — with the San Antonio Spurs being the other — to beat the Golden State Warriors on the road. They score 112.8 points per game, which is second in the NBA, and their point differential is fifth in the league.
Can Houston contend? Common sense says no, because at some point all contenders have to stop people. And the Rockets allow 105.9 points per game, which is a lot. But the Warriors allow 106.1 points per game, and they are expected to be in the NBA Finals, and are overwhelming favorites to win it all.
Even so, the Rockets have things to overcome to stay among the best teams. They aren't deep, so they have to stay healthy. They don't have an offensive presence in the paint, so at some point easy baskets could be hard to come by. And they are a jump-shooting team, which means they could go cold at the wrong time.
Still, Harden and D'Antoni have saved their reputations together. One is a coach of the year candidate. The other is an MVP in the making.
Who would have thought that possible a year ago?
twitter: @tribjazz NBA Power Rankings
1. Golden State Warriors • Back on track after a surprising loss to Memphis.
2. San Antonio Spurs • Have won 14 of their first 15 games on the road.
3. Cleveland Cavaliers • LeBron rests for one night, everyone else analyzes it.
4. Houston Rockets • Earlier road win over Warriors gets them the nod this high.
5. Toronto Raptors • Challenging Western Conference road trip is looming.
6. Los Angeles Clippers • Is Chris Paul, right, becoming an MVP candidate?
7. Memphis Grizzlies • Getting it done without Mike Conley. Impressive.
8. Utah Jazz • Getting it done without George Hill. Also impressive.
9. Oklahoma City Thunder • Russell Westbrook needs some help.
10. Boston Celtics • Have been missing Isaiah Thomas.
11. Charlotte Hornets • Faltering after a fast start.
12. Chicago Bulls • They're due for a run.
13. New York Knicks • Had a decent West Coast trip.
14. Detroit Pistons • Reggie Jackson is back. But are the wins?
15. Milwaukee Bucks • Had a bad week. Need to play better.
16. Indiana Pacers • Fighting for East's 8th spot. Should be more competitive.
17. Portland Trail Blazers • This team can't stop anyone.
18. Atlanta Hawks • Paul Millsap could be free agent this summer.
19. Washington Wizards • Good team at home. Road is another story.
20. Denver Nuggets • Got Gary Harris back from injury, finally.
21. Orlando Magic • Aaron Gordon starting to realize potential.
22. Sacramento Kings • Do Kings have a playoff run in them?
23. New Orleans Pelicans • Tyreke Evans is back. Pels are playing better.
24. Los Angeles Lakers • In the middle of a free fall.
25. Miami Heat • Another team that can't stay healthy.
26. Phoenix Suns • Interesting roster that lacks experience.
27. Minnesota Timberwolves • NBA's most disappointing team?
28. Brooklyn Nets • Better than expected because they play hard.
29. Philadelphia 76ers • Ben Simmons is out of his boot. A good sign.
30. Dallas Mavericks • Starting to improve a bit.